Fuel-stealing motorist jailed for one year

Jessica Magee

A man who drove around to various petrol stations over the course of a fortnight, filled up his tank and drove off without paying has been jailed for a year at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Odinas Dziugas (22) pleaded guilty to 11 counts of fuel theft from service stations in or around the M1 motorway, on dates between August 6th and August 21st last year.

“He just wanted a free journey. Don’t we all?” remarked Judge Martin Nolan, expressing the hope that Odinas will change his habits.

“For reasons known only to himself, this man decided not to pay for his diesel,” said the judge, handing down a one-year sentence but backdating it to May 9th this year, when Odinas went into custody.

The court heard that Odinas, with an address at Sheepmore Lawn, Clonsilla, Dublin 15 has six previous minor convictions, mainly for theft.

Garda Mick McBride told Conor McKenna BL, prosecuting, that the total value of the stolen diesel was €1,636.

The court heard that Odinas was driving a grey Toyota Corolla but when he drove into various filling stations including the Circle K in Dunshaughlin, Applegreen in Balbriggan and the Applegreen in Castlebellingham, Co Louth.

The car was the same for all the offences, but the registration number changed a few times, the court heard. On some occasions, Odinas filled up the car and also took containers from the car boot which he filled up also.

At the sentence hearing on Wednesday afternoon John Moher BL, defending, said Odinas had written a letter of apology to the court and that this period in jail “should do it for him”. Mr Moher said his client had good family support and had worked in various factories packing clothes and food.